High praise from his QB.
Neither Baker Mayfield nor Emeka Egbuka had a great second half of the 2025 season.
If the two played after the bye the way they played before the bye, who knows, Joe might be in San Francisco now getting ready for a Bucs-Patriots Super Bowl.
Mayfield very likely was hurt and that’s why he wasn’t his best self, or even his average self. Egbuka, Joe has a strong hunch, got blasted by the dreaded rookie wall.
Still, the two were at the NFL Honors ceremony honoring the best in the NFL. Egbuka was up for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Fetching Colleen Wolfe caught up with Mayfield prior to the ceremony and Mayfield was proud of the rookie receiver from Ohio State.
“For a rookie to step in and be as professional as he is, I mean, I got a first-hand view of how he treats his body, the daily routine, how smart he is,” Mayfield said. “We asked him to do so much this year. [He] played every single receiver position, and as a rookie, to be able to handle that with the mental capacity, it’s a lot. That’s a lot on his shoulders.
“But he handled it really, really well. He’s obviously a stud. So, I mean, that’s my guy.”
When Mayfield and Egbuka were humming, there may not have been a better offense in the NFL. Then Mike Evans got hurt. Then the offensive line began to crumble with injuries. Then Mayfield’s linebacker mentality began to catch up with him.
And before you know it, the Bucs were watching the playoffs just like you and Joe, and the team was hunting for new offensive coaches.
Cross your fingers for 2026 that the injury bug has been exterminated.
Checking in with QB1️⃣ at NFL Honors 🫡
📺: NBC/NFL Network pic.twitter.com/s7SBPRonDH
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 6, 2026